Image via RFK Racing/Facebook
After RFK Racing appealed a NASCAR penalty which disqualified one of its cars, the No. 17 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, the penalty has been modified. That means Chris Buescher’s effort at Kansas Speedway wasn’t all for nothing.
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Still, RFK Racing was found to have violated some rules, but not every last one it was punished for initially. After review, the National Motorsports Appeals Panel concluded both the front bumper cover and exhaust panel cover were in violation of the rules.
That means instead of a disqualification, 30 championship driver and team owner points have been stripped away. That’s half of he originally 60 which had been removed by NASCAR. In addition, five driver and team owner playoff points have been taken, plus a two-race suspension has been imposed for the crew chief.
Finally, RFK Racing will have to pay a $75,000 fine.
This also means Buescher moves up to sixteenth in the Cup Series points standings, making him the first driver below the NASCAR Playoffs cutline. Had no rules violations been found, he would have been well above it.
But as luck would have it, after finishing eighth at the AdventHealth 400, the No. 17 Ford was one of two cars picked to be taken back to the NASCAR Research & Development Center located in Concord, North Carolina where officials found several alleged rule violations. Only two of those stuck.
An official statement by the National Motorsports Appeals Panel explains the decision: “The panel concluded that NASCAR met its burden of proof regarding the reinforcement of the front bumper cover but did not meet it regarding the trimming of the exhaust panel cover. The rule book regarding the exhaust panel trimming lacked specificity on the amount trimmed or not trimmed. Accordingly, the panel reduced the owner and driver points penalty from 60 to 30 points.”
Image via RFK Racing/Facebook
